Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward Only Has Japanese Audio In Europe

As some of our European readers may be aware, Rising Star Games are localizing Chunsoft’s Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward for Europe. However, they’re going about the game’s European release a little differently.

For starters, the European version of Virtue’s Last Reward will not feature a dual audio voice-track like the North American version.

Rising Star opted to go the single-audio + subtitle route. They confirmed via Twitter this morning: “We licensed Virtue’s Last Reward directly from the Japanese developer, Chunsoft, and decided to retain the authentic original voices only.”

That having been said, the European version of the game will use the same English-language text as the North American version published by Aksys.

Additionally, while North America only got a demo for the game on the PlayStation Vita, in Europe, the Nintendo 3DS will get a demo as well. Rising Star say that the demos are coming “sometime in the near future”.

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward doesn’t have a concrete release date in Europe, but is targeted for release sometime in November.

The US version has the option of playing with either, so no, I’d say something of value was lost.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Tianyu-Wei/100000304118353 Tianyu Wei

tbh, i am pretty sure fans would rather see localization of a game come 3 months earlier, and the company saving money on VA than having a dubbed track.

Raharu95

And then there are those who prefer to have the option. Anyway, What up with Akyss and not dubbing games sometimes? Is that not like, disallowed by Sony? Not that i mind thought, it just i heard so many people always saying some games wont be localized due to dubbing issues, yet Most of Askyss localizations don’t seem to have a dub.

Watahashi

The games that aren’t dubbed are pretty niche, like Agarest. Their options are a full Japanese track, a full English track (these two about equal in cost), or a partial English track, like what Atlus did with Growlanser (obviously the cheapest, next to eliminating voices completely). Partial Japanese voices wouldn’t be an option, since when they buy the Japanese voice license, they buy the whole thing.

Considering how niche something like Agarest is, its lack of general audience marketability, and how much of a conniption that its niche audience would have if the original voices were omitted for the sake of partial or, in their eyes, inadequate voice acting, the logical decision is to go with the Japanese voices. Atlus games tend to appeal to general audiences very easily, so a Japanese voice track is far from a necessity.

Hraesvelgr

Silly Alos, we only care and complain about how games should always have dual audio when games are released dub only. We suddenly and inexplicably drop our stance about “dual” audio when a game is released sub only. Double standards? Take that crazy talk elsewhere.

FitzpatrickPhillips

Those poor souls.

I, for one, will be playing the life out of this with the english VAs.

landlock

So will I now that I’m importing it again.

Mrgrgr and Unacceptable World

Well, considering i am fans of Japanese VA, i can only said this is not a bad thing lol.^_^

Matías Lopepé

So.. does the NA release have jap with subs or is it all jap or/and all eng..?

http://s932.photobucket.com/ usagi_san

The NA version will have dual audio (both eng and jp voice options).

Budgiecat

I wanna nibble that avatar

kylehyde

Even that I’m more than decided to get this game, it would have been nice to have the 3DS demo in America to get a taste of this game.

http://s932.photobucket.com/ usagi_san

As long as the game is coming over, I’m happy. However, I feel sorry for those who wanted the English dub, and probably will import it to do so.

British_Otaku

Personally, I’ll buy the 3DS European version then likely import the Vita version for dual audio. I would need to buy another system (assuming I have a 3DS) or a different game (assuming I have a Vita) just to have the standard features from the International release.

It’s a shame even if it is localised.
All expected features plus maybe the Pan European Languages >>> Removed features >>> Not localised.

http://s932.photobucket.com/ usagi_san

Well, I plan to get both versions, regardless of this news.

I totally agree with your order of importance for localizations.

SirRichard

I wonder why; did they decide that licensing both is just too expensive? They’re obviously talking to Aksys, the text is going to be the same regardless.

Still, demos for both platforms is nice, helps me decide which one I prefer.

http://epiclyamazing.wordpress.com/ AzureNova

Damn, that sucks lol.

ivanchu77

I always play with japanese voices , so luckily this doesn´t affect me one bit.

I hope you aren’t being serious. If anything, it’s actually the other way around.

Luna Kazemaru

The sad thing is 14 people liked that comment lol

http://wiredjungle.wordpress.com/ DrakosAmatras

First comment on Disqus and SiliconEra. Impression dropping…

Luna Kazemaru

Lol this comment Man i feel bad for the 14 people that liked this comment I have a word for them but I will play nice

maxobiwan

I say what I think (and what I wish)… And some people agree with me. They have the right to like.
On every medias, I prefer original version. People who care having french voices on their american movies are french (or spanish for spanish people). why does they care ? They may not like reading subs or they may be kids (or lol racists). As a french, playing a game with a foreign language doesn’t matter… but if I had the choice, what should I take ? French ? No thanks ! Because I hate french voice acting, even in big movies they are bad…

In general, japanese voice actors are goods in their animes and game. why not to take japanese voice for a japanese game instead of portuguese ?

Last point : sometimes companies buy japanese game for distribution, waste money for english voice and they replace. Players dont have the choice. It’s “understandable” when it’s because of few space in DVD, but when the game takes only 2GB, it’s raging !

http://www.facebook.com/people/Tianyu-Wei/100000304118353 Tianyu Wei

localizer should do this more… having just the original sound track NOT ONLY LOWER COST, and makes localization faster too…

http://www.salarymandaishi.net/ SalarymanDaishi

For Japanese releases, this. So very much this. Even after all these years, it seems like US releases are dropped due to the cost of dubbing while Europe suffers not just from that but also the cost of translating the game and/or its manual to the five most spoken languages over here.

Original audio, English subtitles. Should be good enough all around the world, especially when compared to a release that would otherwise never see daylight in the west at all.

Luna Kazemaru

@facebook-100000304118353:disqus @SalarymanDaishi:disqus I honestly want to know what fairy tale world you guys live in or what you guy’s are smoking.

http://www.salarymandaishi.net/ SalarymanDaishi

Fair enough :) The cost of extensive localization is only my flimsy theory on why some Japanese games never see daylight in the US (or do in US but not in Europe) but it seems plausible.

Also, I’m not against dubbing or multi-language releases per se but if the cost to produce them is considered too high for the publisher to bother at all, it’s a lose-lose situation for everyone.

When given a choice between a release with original audio only or no release at all, I’d prefer the former any day and time.

Zoozbuh

What you’re saying might usually be true but in this case we get the game a month LATER than America, and with less content. Yay for us -___-

http://www.salarymandaishi.net/ SalarymanDaishi

True, but we’re talking about two separate, small-scale publishers with limited budgets and a niche audience. At least this time Europe even gets a release, something that never happened in 999′s case. Sure, it might not be dubbed but it’s still better than no game at all.

Many European Vita owners probably import the game from US, anyway, but if it was a 3DS-only release, the efforts of Rising Star Games would be twice as much appreciated.

Budgiecat

Also limits potential sales

Quinton Cunningham

For every person that can’t stand the English dubs, there’s someone like me who will not even consider buyying a Japanese-only VO game unless I can turn the voices off (Fate/Extra) or the voices are integral to the experience regardless of language (Corpse Party). Same goes for a sub-only anime unless i REALLY enjoy it and there’s ZERO chance of it getting a dub.

Plus, licensing Japanese VO can be just as expensive if not moreso. Does nobody ever consider this, or do people just think JP companies hand over their stuff for free?

Zoozbuh

But in this case it DOESN’T make it faster. Rising Star are choosing to save a few bucks by giving us a WORSE product than Americans are getting. It just doesn’t make sense to me, because I prefer Eng voices and it’ll be a shame :/

Kittymimiko

Well damn.. I would like to have the English VA too.

Julien_N

Hum, not having the US VA is not a huge problem to me, I am sure I will disable the voices as my reading speed does not match the voice actors’ speaking speed. I always end up doing this in VNs.

Anyway, I am eager to try the 3DS demo! =D

Alexandra Cordes

It’s dual-audio…? Heck yes! Going to play it in Japanese like it belongs. X3

Budgiecat

That’s okay. I stopped caring about voice acting years ago when voice acting started to get better anyway

Victoria [Rokuso3]

Knowing it exists, I would have liked to have the English VA too, but I guess this game coming to Europe is already a miracle. Anyway, I’m so hyped for this!

Keitaro004

This is why I love europe: JP voices in anime games. The one piece games, Saint Seiya, Naruto European editions, this… they all got only a japanese audio track. Dual audio would be nice I guess, but I personally prefer a japanese track instead of an english. Especially when it’s an “Anime” styled game.

British_Otaku

While I see your point with Naruto Shippuden Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 (the penultimate game outside Japan) having Japanese voices for Europe instead of the dub alone and Budokai 1 also doing so. Really odd when I think back even if the performances are great… >_>

There is no reason why any game shouldn’t support multiple voice tracks in all regions from the get go. For the most part, region locks block us from buying from anywhere else, they may as well let us enjoy the whole game instead of putting it off till we get an emulator for it.

Some of your examples are unlikely to get dubs in general, especially when they don’t go to North America.

http://simplephilistine.wordpress.com/ Arla

Glad to know NA version has dual audio. I didn’t end up enjoying 999 as much as I had hoped but I’ll give this series one more shot.

d s

i’d be happy to go back to megadrive/snes/ds style beeps and tones.

Crok425

I feel bad for some European gamers that prefer English voices. Oh well, it’s better than not having it, right?

Myri Vigkli

yeah yeah!

Levin_Scorpius

If VLR’s translation is anything like 999′s, wouldn’t this mean a number of the lines are going to be fairly different from the written text compared to the original spoken dialogue? (not that it would matter to anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese in the first place anyway).

http://Gematsu.com/ Bruno Silva

I’m okay with this. And I’m super excited about the demo :D I don’t have a Vita so I’m glad they’re giving us a 3DS demo eventually, I can’t wait!!!

Go2hell66

why!!??!?

i can’t even fathom their reasoning behind this, oh well us version it is for me…

Zoozbuh

Neither can I?! And lucky for you, but I don’t have (and wasn’t planning on getting) a PS Vita- they’re expensive! :/

Neppygear

And I’ll be importing the US version. (when I get a Vita, that is)

Zoozbuh

WHY would they not give us dual audio?! This is SO UNFAIR. If it was a case of NO voices at all OR Japanese voices, then I would understand. But we’re clearly getting a worse deal than NA is– and english voices will exist, just not for us. So annoyed :/

artemisthemp

Happy I decided to get US version.

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